Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

My first read from this author and I was not disappointed.

Kate a widower of three years is planning on changing her life. She quits her teaching job and makes the decision to venture back into her late husband Eddie’s domain - the kitchen. She knows nothing about cooking but is determined to learn. Jack a chef who has been unable to work in a kitchen since his last episode of covid when he lost both his sense of taste and smell wants to lock himself away and never step foot in a kitchen again. When Kate and Jack meet through a circle of neighbours they help each other overcome their difficulties and move forward.

Oh wow, this book hits hard and right from the beginning. I was crying...like ugly crying right from the first chapter. It took me longer to finish reading it since I had to be mindful of when I was reading since it just hit me in the feels so intensely. There was so much beauty and joy and grief and anguish and it was so perfectly written that your heart just broke and mended, over and over as you read. It's such a wonderful book about grief, guilt, healing, and found family and you'll fall in love with all of the characters in it's pages.

I felt like all of the characters were so well written and there were parts of each that I really connected with. I enjoyed the shifting perspective as well from chapter to chapter getting more insight into each person and their experiences. I think my favourite was Charles but I always have a soft spot for the sweet, old man in these books. He was endearing in his devotion and love for his wife but I also loved his mischievous side as he played matchmaker.

The whole recipe book idea was beautiful with each character bringing recipes into the book and sharing parts of their lives through the meals and foods that meant something to them. A wonderful reminder of how food can bring us together and how we make such strong memories on these special treats or meals.

I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

Grab your tissues with this one! The characters throughout this book were so perfect. They brought you in, made you feel their love, and want to be at the table with them.

The way love, grief, and guilt were handle were relatable and raw. This was a beautiful book.

Kate Shaw has decided after a long period of time to stop being angry at the world and step into her kitchen and attempt pancakes, with disastrous results but the tentative start of a culinary journey.

I loved the characters and felt they’re back stories were really lovingly developed, each and every one of them, the community feel to one street was wholesome and the recipes (definitely made note of a few!) sounded scrumptious, made my mouth water.

Wow what a novel, had me laughing, crying and gave me a sense of warm satisfaction at the end!

I just adored Kate ❤️❤️this is such a touching and uplifting read that will resonate with readers of all ages. the exquisite prose and heartfelt storytelling make this novel a true gem, and ensure that it will be cherished by readers for years to come. Great story and great recipes and just a great book!!!

A big warm hug in a book from. Lots of love for the recipes and the love of cooking that shined through this book. It will work a way into your heart and if like me you will speed read it.

Reading The Secret Ingredient haas been just like being wrapped in a warm hug. Filled with tasty recipes, this book has had me itching to get into the kitchen and start baking. The recipes, while certainly an integral part of the book, are not the main feature. Here we have a group of people, all living on the same street, and all brought together through the course of the story by food. Kate is the central character. She is wracked with guilt and loss when the story opens, having been widowed three year earlier. In the time since her husband Eddie’s death, she’s thrown herself into work so she won’t have to deal with living without him, however she’s decided to stop teaching and take the time to come to grips with her life. Jack, a former chef who’s unable to continue with that career having lost his sense of taste courtesy of a virus, is nearly run over by Kate on the day he’s moving into a rental on her street. He’s decided that since he can no longer cook for a living, he’ll resume photography, which was a childhood passion. Despite their unauspicious meeting and some angry words, Kate and Jack slowly become friends. Charles is elderly and his wife Mary, the love of his life, is dying. They had their first date in Kate’s house decades earlier when it was a tea room and Charles is determined to relive those memories by taking Mary back there for tea and some cake. He arrives at Kate’s door, apparently elderly and confused, and ends up going in for a cup of tea. It’s clear Kate can’t cook; her kitchen is covered in flour and pancake batter after an unsuccessful attempt, so Charles offers his wife Mary as a baking tutor since she used to love baking but can no longer lift the pans thanks to arthritis. It’s not long before Kate, Mary and Charles become friends. Della is Kate’s neighbour. Like Kate, she’s suffered loss; her husband Justin left after thirty years of marriage and she’s riddled with shame. She’s a fabulous gardener and Kate meets her on a day when her new puppy has just dug up the plants she’s lovingly put in to mark the grave of her former dog. She too begins to join in the gatherings at Kate’s home and as time passes, the group become firm friends, each helping the other in different ways. This whole story made me smile again and again. It’s been emotionally engaging throughout and I’ve really loved reading it.

What a gorgeous book! I first became aware of The Secret Ingredient when I was invited to join the cover reveal, and I knew it was a book I had to read. I'm a sucker for this kind of book anyway (healing, friendship, found family etc) and if it involves food, then it's another boxed ticked for me!I found the story compelling from the start (oh my gosh, that first chapter...!) and was invested in Kate's story. I liked the way it was written from the points of view of the different characters - it really helped to get to know them and understand their backgrounds and motivations. The characters were a fabulous bunch - Charles and Mary were an inspirational couple, and Della was someone I would like to be friends with. I really felt for Kate, who had terrible guilt as well as grief. I loved the way all the characters interacted. The book is brimming with emotion and certainly pulls at the heartstrings.There are so many elements to the story that provide interest and depth. I really enjoyed the way the characters all got to know each other and the way they each benefited from their connections. The sharing of food and recipes was an integral part of the story for all of them, and Kate's it was really well written in a way that enhanced the narrative. The book tackles grief, death, and mourning head-on but with insight and sensitivity, and overall, we are left feeling uplifted. There's a lot of warmth, hope, and healing, and I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book. Incredibly well written and the characters were all lovely. Left me with a smile on my face. Highly recommended.

I loved this book ! It has everything I look for in a book - a cast of lovely characters, interesting story, funny, uplifting and delicious food ! I felt for Kate in fact I felt for all of the people in the story! Mary and Charles reminded me of my grandparents . Mary especially as my grandmother used to have a special baking notebook that has been passed down to me. Lovely uplifting story.

This book is about loss in so many different ways but it’s also about hope. But in the main it’s about food, possibly my most favourite thing after books! Food that brings people together!

My heart broke for Kate. Everything that reminded her tightened that feeling around my heart and the lump in my throat grew a little. She needs mending and those around her are the prime candidates to do it even if they don’t realise it!

I loved Charles and Mary’s relationship. Their love for each other is inspiring. I want to get to their age and still love like they do. To care for another with such tenderness. It’s just so heartwarming and beautiful.

I loved the recipes scattered throughout the book. I definitely have to try the Gretna Truffles, they sound lush! Having the recipes dotted throughout the book gave my imagination a taste (see what I did there) of the food the characters were rustling up. I was salivating

This is a tense emotional read. I bawled my eyes out more than once!! My heart broke but what came after that emotion healed and dried my tears. This is a beautiful modern day story of friendship, love and companionship. Heath has poured so much emotion into this story, it would melt even the coldest of hearts. Just wonderful and emotional.

A beautiful story which is sad and happy all rolled into one. This book just carried me along and I was completely immersed in its pages. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I loved Charles, he was such a sweet man who lo Ed Mary and helped his neighbours. I didn't want to finish this o e. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Sometimes you pick up a book, start reading and just know it is going to be a great read from the first page. This was one of these books for me!!

Kate was very happy in her marriage to Eddie. He cooked for her, he made friends with the neighbours, and generally was an all round good guy, until he went out one day and never came back. Kate was beyond devestated and blindly stumbled through life for a period of timeuntil she realissed that she actually needed to take stock of her life. She quit her job, anddecided to start by learning to cook for herself. She has her grandmother's recipe book, which includes lots of handwritten notes such as "Kate's favourite".

Whilst she is making a terrible mess whilst attempting to make lemon sugar pancakes her doorbell rings. At the door is an older man who lives just down the street. He asks if he can come in as he remembers when Kate's house used to be a tea house where he courted his wife. At times, Charles seems confused but Kate is intrigued and agrees to set the house up as it used to be so that Charles can bring his wife Mary for tea. Now Kate really needs to learn to cook scones if she is going to host an afternoon tea.

Soon Kate is getting to know her neighbours, sharing recipes and food, and learning just how much time Eddie had spent getting to know the people in their street and how thoughtful he was. For example, Eddie made homemade liver treats for the dog that another neighbour, Della owns. He was just that kind of guy.

One neighbour who Eddie never met was newcomer Jack. Jack ran a very successful local restaurant and was something of a local celebrity chef, until he suddenly closed down his restaurant and has basically withdrawn from life. Jack and Kate clash from the first second they almost meet. Everyone is intrigued as to why he has stepped away from his life as a chef and why. He has his reasons, but he is not ready to share them just yet.

Each of the characters has lost or are losing someone or something, and at times it is heartbreaking as the story unfolds, especially for Charles and Mary.

When you meet each of our main characters it would be easy to expect that this would be a melancholy read. It is, but it is also funny, feel good reading about finding cross generational, community based friendships, about new starts. I genuinely laughed out loud when Kate made pancakes and the aforementioned dog treats! I did wonder if I should try to use the recipe in the book to make dog treats for our dog but when she talked about how bad it all smelt I decided against it!!

There was only one moment in the book, and it was a very brief moment, where Kate confessed about something that made wonder about her but other than that I really loved getting to know all the characters and learning their stories.

And the food!! Obviously this book is about a lot of things from loss and friendship but also about Kate learning to cook, how to love cooking, but also more importantly about how food and cooking can be used to show love to the people in their lives.

This is Sue Heath's first book under this name, and I loved it! I already can't wait to read whatever she publishes next.

I am sharing this review with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story and with the New Release Challenge hosed at The Chocolate Lady's Book Blog

Rating 5/5

This was a heartwarming story about Kate and her group of neighbors. They all seem to bond over food and become good friends. The book touches on several life issues along the way.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I cannot give this wonderful piece of art anything less than five stars, although to me it deserves fifty and that still doesn’t come close to how much I loved this how wonderful it is. I went into this book, hoping for a good story,well I’m not sure what I was expecting other than good things and boy did I get them ! Sue surpassed all my expectations and gave me things I didn’t know I wanted or needed in my life.

The Secret Ingredient led me gently into its pages and took me by the hand as I got lost in this world of wonderful and heartfelt writing full of vibrant characters, and the most beautiful story. It felt like a friend was with me, handing the tissues over to me when I was crying, grabbing me a jumper in the evening when it was cold. It may sound bizarre but that’s how much of heartwarming read this is, how much I connected with Kate and her journey, along with that other other characters along the story.

I can’t recommend Sue Heath’s books enough to you, her beautiful and thoroughly skilled writing is a joy to read, her characters and community are so comforting I didn’t want to leave them at the end and all the recipes, well I haven’t tried any yet but there’s a handful I’m ready to dive in and try. That’s what you should do with this, dive in and give it a go, you won’t regret a single page.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

So this book has dragged me through so many emotions, I've smiled a lot at what I've read but I've cried so much too! I have to start off by saying that I absolutely adored Mary( and Charles) she reminded me a lot of my Grandma, from her name to her stubborn personality and love of baking that I actually found myself in floods of tears at the end of the book ( and that's the only way I can say this without spoilers). She and Charles were just so adorable, I loved how in love with each other they are and how that had a knock-on effect on all the other characters. I definitely loved everyone in this book, there wasn't a character that you had to dislike, they were all so damn lovely and perfectly flawed in their own ways. I really felt for poor Kate, she had so much trauma to deal with and so much grief and, though it sounds awful, I loved watching the way she dealt with everything thrown in her path and found a way to live her life again, and I especially love that she did it through food. Food is a brilliant way to bring people together to enjoy each other's company and talk through things and I love how well this was shown in this book.
I liked the way we had chapters from everyone, I so enjoyed seeing each of their points of view and Sue Heath's writing style is so lovely to read. I started this book this morning and breezed through it in no time at all, it just flowed so beautifully. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by her, even if they drag all the emotions out of me!

In a Nutshell: A beautiful story about a group of people who bond over food. Tackles some tough themes in a soothing manner. Slow and steady in development. Likeable characters. Some teeny plot issues, but overall, enjoyable.

Plot Preview:
Twenty-nine-year-old Kate has been a widow since three years now, but she is still lost in the what-ifs of the past. To take charge of her life, she quits her job as a teacher and decides to enter the kitchen, which was Eddie’s domain when he was alive. There’s only one problem: Kate knows nothing about cooking.
Through some circumstance or the other, various neighbours, old and new, enter Kate’s life after her decision to reclaim her life. All these people are also dealing with their own issues, but somehow, everyone ends up connecting over food and the community spirit.
Will Kate be able to let go of the past? Will all her neighbours also find relief for whatever ails their spirits and bodies?
The story comes to us in the third person perspective of six characters: Kate and her neighbours.

Bookish Yays:
🍎 Six character perspectives in all, with some more minor characters mentioned, and yet their arcs never become confusing. I love how the author introduces the characters over a lag than bringing them all into the first scene and overwhelming the readers.
🍎 The characters differ from each other in age, life experiences, and attitudes. Kate is the only one in her late twenties. Jack is in his early thirties, Della is almost sixty, and Charles and Mary are possibly octogenarians. (Can’t reveal details of the sixth character as it would be a spoiler.) This age-gap connection lends a beauty and novelty to the story that would otherwise have been about typical peer friendships and relationships.
🍎 I loved the secondary characters, even more than the lead pair of Kate and Jack. While all of them were adorable, I felt most connected to Charles as he reminded me of my dad, who is struggling with similar memory issues these days. So Charles’ arc made me quite emotional. Mary (Charles’ wife) and Della (another neighbour with a passion for gardening) are beautiful humans. They tend to get a tad too personal and nosy at times, but that adds to the realism as that’s how women in small towns mostly are.
🍎 Food has a prominent role to play in this story. I was initially a bit apprehensive about this aspect because I am the kind of foodie who loves only to eat. I cook to live and not the other way around, and rarely do I experiment in the kitchen. Moreover, the cuisine in the book is typical Brit, which means I had heard a few of the dishes and eaten hardly any of them. Regardless, I enjoyed the scrumptious-sounding delicacies and the manner in which the food brought the characters together for prep, cooking and eating.
🍎 The story creates a nostalgic kind of feel, reminiscent of the pre-SM days, when people actually visited their neighbours and spoke face to face. The bonding across the characters recreates an old-timey charm, with their shared sentiments and shared meals generating warmth in our hearts.
🍎 There are actual recipes included for all the items Kate cooks. These are not at the end of the book but integrated into the storyline – so cool!
🍎 Each of the main characters is battling a kind of loss, but their afflictions are unique to them. Thus, we see various types of heartaches in this story. After all, grief is not just the outcome of coping with a loved one's death, and the book covers various shades of grief. I loved the realism of the dilemmas faced by the characters.
🍎 Though there is so much sadness in the book, there is also an equal amount of joy and hope. Despite the intense poignancy of some scenes, the overall plot does not get too melancholic.
🍎 The author's note is the icing on the cake of this delectable read. I was delighted to see that her favourite characters were the same as mine, in the exact same order!

Bookish Mixed Bags (Two of which were still Yays for me):
🍍 The pacing of the story is quite relaxed. This might not work for those who want a fast read, but I was looking for something on the lines of “comfort food”, so I didn’t mind the lack of rush. That said, I didn’t find the book slow to read. The plot and the characters develop gradually but steadily.
🍍 While the book does NOT mention COVID, it is clear that the health issues of one of the characters because of “a virus” is a result of Long COVID. I would not have minded a reference to COVID because it is a fact of our lives now, and would have made the side effect faced by the character even more tangible. That said, I know that COVID is a trigger for many readers, so I get the author’s choice to stay away from mentioning it directly.
🍍 Kate and Jack as the lead pair should have been the stars of this plot. And in many ways, I liked them. But some of their decisions are so ad hoc that I couldn’t connect with them wholly, or at least as much as I did with the other characters. I didn’t understand why Kate had to quit her job to move on and try cooking. It felt extreme.
🍍 The writing gets a bit cheesy at times, especially in the romantic scenes. It's a book about food, so I suppose the cheese fits in. 😉 But some of it was too saccharine for my taste. On the plus side, it doesn’t become corny. (cheese… saccharine… corn… someone’s going overboard with the food metaphors! 👀)
🍍 The story is quite predictable. Of course, this goes with the genre; no one picks up women’s fiction expecting thrills and twists. But I wish it had not stuck to the tried-and-tested so firmly. There were many avenues where it could have broken the chain, especially in Della’s arc. I still liked it on the whole, but taking Della’s story through a different path would have made the book shine even more in my eyes.

Bookish Nays:
🍊 Kate's journey of going from a zero-level cook to a MasterChef almost instantaneously was too farfetched for my liking. (Ignore the green-eyed monster!) Hardly any baking mishaps? Perfection in almost every attempted dish? How, how, how?
🍊 The proceedings are a bit too smooth, if you get what I mean. Hardly any conflict (whether with people or with cooking) happens on page. Most of the relationships are instantaneous, and most of the discussions are amicable. This Indian wanted more spice in this dish! (Not of the romantic kind though – that was at the perfect level!)

All in all, despite the trivial issues, I still enjoyed this read. It helped that it came in my life at the right time, when I needed something simultaneously relaxing and emotional. I usually avoid books with the dead-partner trope as they feel very similar to ‘PS I Love You.’ But this one has a fresh feel to it, thanks to all the delicious food and yummy characters.
I had initially assumed this to be a debut work, but as it turns out, the author has published several 'hot' romances, under the pseudonym ‘Zara Stoneley’. I am not one for steamy novels, but I will definitely look forward to what more ‘Sue Heath’ has to offer.
The parting note calls this ‘effervescent fiction’, and I like that so much better than ‘women’s fiction’. We need to rename this genre! Even ‘feel-good fiction’ is a good substitute to that bland-sounding 'women's fiction'.
So…
Much recommended to all readers of ‘effervescent/feel-good fiction’ who want to read emotional and sweet flavours balanced with some sad undertones.

4 stars.

My thanks to Rachel's Random Resources, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of 'The Secret Ingredient'. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Content warnings: death, marital breakup (no infidelity), COVID (though not mentioned openly.)

This is one of those books where I advise you
To read the book and not my review.
Such a moving story, brilliantly told,
Have tissues at the ready as it starts to unfold!

When losses cause life plans to be changed
Expectations and dreams need to be rearranged.
Coping thereafter can be hard, too,
Impacting feelings, relationships and all that you do.

Charles is elderly and seems confused,
But he's forthright, amazing and won't be refused.
He's the catalyst for much of what will unfold
As this superbly crafted read is told.

Neighbours going through different things
Unsure of what their futures will bring.
Charles helps bring them together, as you'll see
Starting with Kate and a cup of tea.

This is such a brilliant story, with food at its heart,
With helping each other belong a major part.
An emotional read, with recipes, too,
As Kate joins the community she never knew.

Finding the secret ingredient to happiness is the key
But it'll be different for each of us, as you'll see.
Helping and healing, new friendships and romance,
All occur in this moving read, please give it a chance!

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

We start off the story with Kate happy in her marriage to Eddie, who is a wonderful cook, but something happens and we move three years ahead to find her alone, only thirty-three years old and trying to get used to life as a widow.
Jack has also faced a crisis in his life. After contracting an illness, he couldn’t taste or smell correctly. For a chef, this was a life-changing issue and he felt he couldn’t do his job properly anymore. Deciding to start again somewhere else, he rents a house – near to Kate’s.
After the neighbourhood typically being the kind where everyone says hello to each other, but not much more, things change. Thanks to the intervention of the wonderful Charles and his wife Mary (who are both in their eighties), things change and people start to talk to each other, really talk, about their feelings and emotions.
There’s also Della, who is now single at fifty-nine and loves gardening, hindered comically by her adorable puppy Clint. She makes friends with another neighbour David, who is sixty and also loves gardening.
This is a gorgeous, character-led novel with such beautiful themes and so much warmth and love between its pages. Food – making it and growing it - lead to a new social experience for them all – new friendships developing, possibly new romantic relationships… possibilities and optimism, hope, good times, things to look forward to… The story is full of emotions, which we share as readers because the characters are real to us and we care about them and their lives and happiness.
This is a novel I would categorise as ‘uplit’ – it’s uplifting, heartwarming, an example of old-fashioned community spirit returning to the modern world. Everyone has their own story, and their own challenges, which we learn about too, but coming together makes everyone’s lives that bit brighter and more fulfilling.

I really enjoyed this story with a big focus on relationships and friendships and how food soothes the soul. It really focuses on 5 main characters, of varying ages, Kate, Jack, Della, Charles and Mary. They are all dealing with different fears and issues but they come together to support each other and build a community. The sotry pulled at all the heart-strings. Food, cooking and recipies do play a big part in the story. I really liked having the recipies scattered out and want to try some of them!